


Aquila

by somewhatghostly



Category: Original Work
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, M/M, Science Fiction & Fantasy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-25
Updated: 2021-01-25
Packaged: 2021-03-17 07:53:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,032
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28970901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/somewhatghostly/pseuds/somewhatghostly
Summary: A meteorite looms over the horizon, threatening to damage the planet. Their only hope lies in a set of ancient spacecraft, long since lost to the sands of time. Do these ships exist? And can the planet be saved in time?





	1. Chapter 1

_ The ships are made of Izarite and modeled after the Asterisms of our Home World. Remarkably, they capture the very essence of the beasts, and not one ship is like another, save for the materials used in their construction. With the last of our reserves of Spirit Quartz, we powered these ships, that as long as they bond with a pilot, they may protect this system from all that wish to destroy it. _

_ Our first-generation ships carry the highest offensive capability of all generations. No two sets of weaponry are the same, and I have only witnessed Leo’s plasma lances. The rest of the first generation ships were built on Planet Four, and I have not had the luxury of traveling to our sister planet. _

_ The second-generation ships include Aquila and Cetus. Their shields are second to none and possess the ability to block heavy radiation and physical projectiles. The Izarite alloy used in the construction of these ships is particularly tough, and these are the sturdiest ships I have ever seen built. _

_ Lastly, the third-generation was constructed with the remnants of Izarite. Though fragile, these ships are more agile than their predecessors. Perhaps owing to the higher ratio of Spirit Quartz to Izarite, the third-generation ships contain the best sensors, suggesting that they have potential as scouting ships. In truth, there has been no pilot capable of bonding with these ships, so we are unable to document their uses. _

_ With the Asterismal Ships complete, Planets Three and Four have no fear of passing through the asteroid field estimated to happen in the coming years. _

Milon left the words on the holographic screen as he finished his narration. “So the Ancients had a way of surviving the orbit through the asteroid field without putting their civilization at risk.” He finished triumphantly, eyeing the various inhabitants of the throne room.

“That sounds too good to be true.” Milon looked at his mother, trying not to take offense to her pretty frown as he did so. Nobody seemed to understand that the Ancients had technology superior to theirs, no matter how many different ways he chose to articulate it. All that mattered to the Queen was that they had some way of surviving the planet’s projected trajectory through the nearby asteroid field. At first, they had turned to the military, but none of their weapons even came close to generating the firepower enough to destroy or change the positions of asteroids. After that, the Queen had asked her most trusted ministers for advice. Milon was the only one to come up with an even remotely passable plan--in his opinion, anyhow.

He crossed his arms and fought the urge to roll his eyes at her. “But it is. I’ve never found anything false in our records.” He challenged. Violet eyes met violet eyes as they gauged each other’s convictions. Aside from their eye color, and tanned skin Milon shared little in common with the omega queen of the planet, Damalis Aurya. His alpha mother, Mirias, was conspicuously missing for this discussion.

“Where are these ships?” Milon shifted his gaze to his twin brother--and only other occupant of the room--Khari and found a level gaze. Typical. Khari was always playing peacemaker between him and their mother the way a skilled sailor navigates a storm. It was a valuable skill but one that currently exposed the biggest weakness in his proposition.

Milon narrowed his eyes at Khari, then sighed. “I don’t know.” He admitted. “The archives didn’t record their whereabouts. But,” he said sharply, watching his mother’s mouth open again. “I can track them down. Nobody knows as much about Ancient Technology as I do.” He half-boasted. “Khari has exceptional pilots. I’m sure that they’ll be able to handle the Asterismal Ships. All we need is one to test against the meteorite.” It was the perfect plan. The meteorite was a small asteroid that had been affected by their planet’s gravitational force and threatened to decimate a good portion of the planet if not stopped.

Khari raised an eyebrow. Milon had never shown much more than derision for the military, but it would be integral in convincing his mother that the Asterismal Ships–and more research into the Ancients–were worth their time and money. He could tell that Khari saw right through him and his selfish intentions but his twin said nothing against his words.

“What if you don’t track them down in time?” Their mother asked. “You’re asking me to divert funds that Khari’s engineers could be using to find fairy tale ships.” She pointed out. Though Milon and Khari were heirs to the kingdom, their mother was still the ruler and would be until she stepped down. Milon wasn’t going to get any money for his research unless she could be convinced that his plan was worth her time.

“I will. There are only so many places on this planet that these ships could be.” He replied evenly. And besides, by their calculations, the only place the meteorite would affect was the Lower Rings. Nothing good came from that deadbeat district anyhow.

His mother sighed. “Fine. You know how much time you have to find these ships.” She acquiesced reluctantly. “Get me a list of expenses by tomorrow, Milon.”

Milon beamed at her, in a much better mood now that his demands had been met. “I’ll get started immediately.” He promised.


	2. Chapter 2

“Ugh. If I’d known my search would lead me here, I would never have asked mother for funding.” Milon grumbled as he made his way through the city streets, doing his best not to run into anyone.

Theone rolled her eyes.  _ If I’d known I’d be assigned to you, I wouldn’t have shown up to work today, _ the police officer thought to herself as she led the prince through the streets of the Middle Tier. It was the middle of a workday and the streets weren’t nearly as crowded as they could get before or after work. It would be her luck that the prince was a whiny sort of person that found the perpetually-busy Middle Tier unbearable–and worse–made it known.

They were currently in a commercial district full of shopping malls, various restaurants, and cafes. Though taller than anything found in other parts of the Capital, the buildings here were nowhere as tall as the ones in the residential districts. Billboards played through advertisement after advertisement as shoppers hurried by, paying them no mind as they looked at their personal communicators instead. Though it was too early in the afternoon for people to be off work, the streets were still full of vehicles of all kinds–small, personal transport vehicles; larger, family-sized vehicles; and public transportation with the largest seat capacity. Theone doubted she’d ever see the prince on a public transportation vehicle, but she also hadn’t expected him to insist that they travel by foot. They were currently on one of the sidewalks, the people around them unaware that royalty was walking in their midst.

Prince Milon had requested an escort, and with her recent induction onto the police force, Theone had been the natural choice for the honor. From the moment the dark-haired alpha had stepped onto the precinct’s floors, Theone had pegged him as a brat. So far, she was proven correct. The first thing he’d done was complain that the shirt and jeans that he’d bought were uncomfortable compared to the palace robes, then promptly glared at her like she was personally responsible for the make of the clothing that the prince had chosen for himself. Then he’d insisted they get going immediately, without allowing her to ask about just  _ where _ they were going. The prince had simply walked out of the precinct and expected Theone to follow him.

But now that she’d had a little time to collect her thoughts, Theone decided that she needed to know why the younger prince had left his palace in the Heights to walk amongst the ordinary people of the Middle Tier, despite harboring a clear disdain for them.

“What is it we’re looking for, Your Highness?” The pink-haired beta asked, easily keeping pace with the prince as he walked with apparent purpose to a destination unknown to her.

Milon sighed like she’d asked an infantile question. “Just call me Milon. I don’t need the whole of Middle Tier getting in my way for pictures.” He replied haughtily.

“Milon. What are we looking for?” Theone repeated her question, intent on getting an answer. She had a distinct feeling that Milon had no idea where he was going and she was going to rectify the mistake before he could waste any more of her time.

This time, he graced her with a glare, violet eyes turning to meet her impassive, sapphire blue ones, bearing a silent challenge. Theone did not back down.

“Simply put, ships,” Milon replied, apparently unwilling to part with the information.

“ _ Ships _ ?” Theone asked incredulously. “The Capital has no large bodies of water big enough for ships. Why would you look for one here?”

His eye twitched, clearly displeased with her answer. “Not  _ that _ kind of ship. Star Ships. Spaceships.” Milon gestured to the sky impatiently, continuing to walk all the while.

Theone didn’t spare a glance up to the sky. Spacecraft periodically made their entry and exit throughout the day, bright specks of light visible in the horizons almost all the time. The military had an entire division dedicated to extraplanetary defense, after all. “I would assume that you had plenty of those on the Defense Plateau. It’s kind of hard for a ship to go missing without anybody realizing it.” She couldn’t help her droll tone and intentional ignorance. In her mind, respect was earned, not given because of a mere title.

A low growl vibrated from the prince’s chest, drawing the attention of passersby. They skirted around the irate alpha, but Theone wasn’t worried. Though he stood a good few inches over her, she had self-defense training and she found it highly doubtful that he could overpower her–even if he was an alpha. “It’s not  _ that _ kind of mass-produced swill either.” The offense in Milon’s tone was surprising. The kingdom’s spacecraft were engineered by the most brilliant minds on the planet–there was no reason for him to refer to them as swill. Just how spoiled was Prince Milon?

“Right.” The police officer replied. “The most advanced technology we have is just  _ swill _ .”

“Compared to what I’m looking for, it is,” Milon said.

Theone nodded as though what he said made any sense. “Fictional ships. Got it.”

“Why does everyone say they’re fictional?” The prince complained loudly, drawing more looks from the surrounding people. “They’re real and I know where they are!” He insisted.

“Which is why we’re walking toward the residential district. The most crowded district in Middle Tier.”

Milon stopped and looked around, finally noticing the skyscrapers ahead of them. It looked like Theone had finally gotten through to him. “I thought we were headed to the Ancient History Museum?” He asked quizzically, scowling at her a moment later. “Why are we here?”

Theone fought the urge to roll her eyes. “You started walking without telling anyone where you were going. What was I supposed to do?” She asked, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow. “Leave you alone in a city you’ve never been to?” She suggested.

Milon opened his mouth, clearly about to say something when he thought the better of it and shut it, affixing her with a glare that would have evaporated a lesser person on the spot instead. “Fine. Where’s the Ancient History Museum? I don’t have time to waste on detours.” He asked sullenly.

Theone smirked and gestured for him to follow her as she spun around, leading Milon back in the direction they had come from. The Ancient History Museum wasn’t within walking distance from the precinct, so they would have to pick up a vehicle. Since she was on official police business, Theone had opted to pick up one of the vehicles on the precinct’s lot.

“This is where we just came from,” Milon complained.

“Astute observation.” The beta replied, sarcasm dripping from her words. Glancing at the prince walking at her side, Theone saw him bristling but he said nothing to her about her tone.

“Why are we going back in this direction?”

Theone shot him a look. “Seriously?” She asked incredulously.

Milon pointed to the left. “The history museum is to the west. We’re walking north.”

“We’re going back to the precinct.”

“What? Why?” The prince scowled. “I just said I needed to go to the Ancient History Museum! What part of “Ancient History Museum” did you not understand?” He snapped, reaching forward to grab her collar.

In a swift move, Theone knocked his hand away and shoved him into the concrete wall next to them. “Bad idea.” She growled at him. “I suggest not doing that again unless you want a dislocated shoulder, Milon.” Stupid, mightier-than-thou princes. If it wasn’t her job to make sure that no harm came to him, she’d be the first person in line to knock him down a peg. A scant five minutes in his presence already had her feeling this way. She couldn’t imagine the amount of patience that people that dealt with the prince would need in a day.

Though he didn’t respond, Milon hadn’t lunged at her or come back with a retort. Theone took that as a sign that he’d understood her. “It’s going to take half a day to walk to the Ancient History Museum. That’s a waste of time. We’re going back to the precinct to get a vehicle.” She explained, continuing back to the precinct as she spoke.

“I see.” The alpha muttered as he fell back into step.

Theone didn’t know much about the palace or the Heights, but she had to assume–based on Milon’s reactions–that most, if not all, things were within walking distance. Aside from the uncivilized Lower Rings, Middle Tier was the largest district in the Capital and it was rare for anyone to walk more than a few blocks at a time. Milon wanting to walk to the history museum showed just how little he knew about the world outside the Heights. That shouldn’t have been much of a surprise, however, because the princes had never been seen outside of the palace–or the Defense Plateau, if Prince Khari was concerned. Briefly, Theone wondered if the elder prince was as difficult to deal with as his brother was.

“Stupid clothing.”

She ignored Milon’s grumbling in favor of briskly leading them back to the precinct. They encountered no further snags and soon, Theone was in possession of a key to one of the police vehicles in the lot. Milon inspected the vehicle inquisitively, walking a full circle around it before attempting to get into the driver’s side. A short bark of laughter from Theone stopped him and he walked to the other side, unfazed by his mistake.

“I assume  _ that _ is where the criminals go?” Milon knocked against the tinted glass separating the front of the vehicle from the back. “Why is it larger than the space we have up here?”

“You’re welcome to sit back there if you like,” Theone replied as she passed her communicator over the key sensor. The vehicle hummed to life upon being given the proper key codes, blue holographics lighting up over the dashboard, displaying various statistics and information about the vehicle.

Milon sniffed. “I’m no criminal.” He said, clearly offended.

“Pity.” The police officer muttered as she drove out of the precinct lot and toward the Ancient History Museum. She didn’t bother with the navigation system–she knew how to get to the Ancient History Museum without it.

To her relief, Milon was silent on the drive, looking out the window at the streets instead. Upon glancing at him, she saw a measure of interest. Perhaps his head wasn’t as far up in the clouds as she had initially thought.

When they were just about halfway to their destination, a call came through for Theone. “Chief?” She answered on the car’s system, hoping that he had something more important for her to do than babysit a clueless, arrogant prince.

“Officer Theone, a time-sensitive tip has come through. You’re closest to the location. We need you to pick up a suspect.” The chief’s voice was as clear as it would be if he was sitting next to her in the car in Milon’s seat.

“Even if I have the prince with me?” She verified, trying to keep the delight out of her voice. Whatever the chief assigned her would also be more interesting than babysitting a prince.

The momentary silence told Theone that the chief had forgotten about Milon. “Yes.” He decided. Theone stole a glance at Milon, finding the shocked expression that she had expected on his face. “We’ve been after the suspect for months and we finally have a location. Head to the coordinates I’m sending to you immediately.”

“Yes, sir!”

The coordinates came through as soon as the call disconnected. This time, she allowed the navigation system to start up and take her there.

“You can’t seriously be shirking your duties to me for some criminal!” Milon snapped at her, waving his hand animatedly.

Theone took the turn a little harder than she needed to–enough for Milon to almost hit himself against the side of the vehicle. “I could ditch you if you prefer?” She offered almost gleefully. “Plenty of public transportation vehicles will take you to the Ancient History Museum if you can pay the fare.”

“The what?” Milon asked with a scowl. Theone wondered how many of her words he’d actually understood.

“I didn’t think so.” She replied, satisfied with the lack of a proper response. “Emergency orders are emergency orders. There will be no danger to you.” That, at least, she could promise. Most arrests were unnoteworthy events and she would bet that this was one of those too. The chief wouldn’t risk the safety of a prince over a common criminal.

“There better not be.”


End file.
